Raymie Clarke

Raymie is a young girl who is struggling with the news that her father chose to leave. He ran away with a younger woman, leaving Raymie and her mother behind. Raymie believes that things will be fine for her family if she can only get her father to contact her. She decides that she will win a pageant, knowing the winner's picture will be in the newspaper. She believes that her father will see the paper and call her. Raymie holds onto that idea for only a short time before coming to realize that she cannot control her father and that she does not have anything to say to him after all.

Raymie meets two other little girls while taking baton lessons. Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski each have their own issues and quirks but the three soon become friends and are willing to do anything for...